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Tag: No alternative

  • Why there is no alternative to Buhari-Osinbajo, by forum

    A pro-Buhari Osinbajo group, No Alternative to Buhari/Osinbajo 2019 (NATBO 2019), has said the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice President Yomi Osinbajo in 2015 was a divine intervention.

    A statement by NATBO’s president Vincent Uba urged Nigerians to support Buhari’s re-election.

    The statement reads: “God gave us a man who, together with his vice, and team, led concerted and sustained military onslaughts against the Boko Haram insurgency. Today, Boko Haram has been diminished, captured towns recovered and refugees returned home.

    “God gave us a man with prudence and financial discipline, who deployed these qualities to tackle the effects of the fall in crude oil price and wriggle out of recession.

    Read also: APC kicks as PDP plans its own results collation

    “No sooner had this man become president than he dealt with corruption. Today, this fight against corruption is yielding positive results, as those known to have looted the treasury are being unmasked, prosecuted, and the loot being recovered.

    “It is no longer business as usual as government parastatals and agencies now remit funds due to the Federal Government via the Treasury Single Account (TSA), instead of multiple bank accounts which made it easier for funds to be diverted to private accounts.”

    The group lauded Buhari/Osinbajo for bringing disciplined and prudent management of the county’s scarce resources, pragmatically addressing the problems of the already battered economy.

  • ‘No alternative to Buhari’

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode spoke with reporters on the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari, shortly after the peace meeting held with aggrieved aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Lagos State House, Marina.

    The 2019 Presidential election is fast approaching and with due respect to other candidates, it looks like a two-horse race between the APC candidate and incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari and the PDP Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Can you tell us why you think President Muhammadu Buhari should be given another term as President?

    Just to be very clear, as an average Nigerian, not necessarily as a Governor now, I will pitch my tent with, endorse and vote President Muhammadu Buhari in this forthcoming Presidential elections on the basis that having crosschecked all the presidential candidates, I believe at this auspicious time in this country, the right person that can actually take us to the next level and the next trajectory of the prosperity and progress of Nigeria is President Muhammadu Buhari and I am very clear about what I am saying.

    Apart from the fact that he has been President in the last three and half years, he has also been Head of State in the military era. But again, if you cross check all the other candidates, most especially the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when you put both of them on a weigh balance, there is one that has integrity more than the other, there is one that is more passionate about Nigeria and Nigerians, most especially the poor than the other. So, if the question comes on why we are voting for Buhari, it is on the basis of integrity, on the basis of somebody who is passionate of which those two values are values that I also cherish and practice as the Governor of Lagos State. It is very clear that we are just like like-minds and I will obviously engage Nigerians that those two values are the values that can bring prosperity to Nigeria. You need a lot of character; somebody that has character is likely to create an enabling environment that can make this country to progress. But beyond character and integrity, you can see that in the last three and half years, we have made fundamental preparation to push this economy to its positive trajectory and that’s what President Muhammadu Buhari has been trying to do and Nigerians don’t understand.

    Why do you think the PDP should not bounce back to power?

    If you have cumulative 16 years of disruptive infrastructural tendencies, there is no way one single tenure can allow a corrective measure of the infrastructural deficit, you have to create that environment to allow you to do that. Let me give one simple example. Today, we are having the reconstruction of the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway being taken on by President Muhammadu Buhari. This particular expressway which is more or less the nerve centre to the economy of this country has never been touched in the last 40 years. Of this 40 years, 16 years of PDP was inclusive. Within three and half years, we have been very bold and very adamant that you need to rehabilitate the Apapa axis for you to be able to push the economy of Nigeria forward because anything that happens around the Lagos economy has a positive trajectory to the nation’s economy as a whole. So, it’s very clear, if you see a government that decides that and says that, look, even in these years of abandonment, decades of abandonment, they want to take on this whole issue, knowing well that in another two to three years, it would be delivered, so they need to monitor it, giving it back to those who abandoned it is not a good course to run. When you look at the reconstruction of the Niger Bridge, it’s been on for the last four decades also, these are fundamental infrastructure. So it gives you more or less a very clear mind what this government of Buhari will do if he is taking on fundamental things that would push the economy forward. All we need is to support him and also make a whole lot of economic technocrats available to rally round him and take this country to the next level.

    So, if you move away from infrastructure and you are looking at investment in agriculture, a very clear example is LAKE Rice, it was just to prove a point that we can do local production of our own rice and project our own revenue of which the FG and of which President Buhari has been critically supportive of. So, we just need additional one or two years to allow us to do that and then importation of rice would become a thing of the past.

    When you look at things that has to do with inclusive governance, you know all these TraderMoni and allowing SMEs to have access to interest free loans is what you mean by inclusive governance. PDP never did that for 16 years, so why will you now say the PDP candidate is coming to do inclusive governance? There are therefore clear examples why we must all rally round President Muhammadu Buhari and give him that second term for him to be able to consolidate on all the things that are very dear to us; the things that would grow the GDP of Nigeria, the things that would enable the poor to have access and create more jobs and also allow the economy to move forward and in terms of what we have in fiscal and monetary rates and policy, it is important that those are the things that the President just needs from Nigerians to be able to push this country forward and that’s why anytime any day, the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari is the best option for Nigeria right now.

    President Buhari in 2015 campaigned on the basis of improving the security situation in Nigeria, especially in the Northeast. How well do you feel he has fared on this front, especially with the recent unpalatable reports of attacks and skirmishes in some parts of the country?

    Security is the number one achievement of this present government of President Buhari. When he came into power in 2015, the security situation in the North East was not what it is now. Look, people might want to be politically funny and trying to create stories from nothing, but the truth is that what we had in 2015 and the relative peace we are experiencing in 2018 in the North East are totally two different things. This 2015 security crisis was handed over by the PDP to the Buhari administration. Against all odd the country had regained lost territories and the enemies have been pushed out. There is relative peace in the North East and the truth is that Lagos, of which I govern, is the most secured city in Africa right now. Is it possible for me to do it alone? Of course it’s through the support and assistance of President Muhammadu Buhari. So, if there is anybody that is ever going to talk about security, the peace that we are enjoying and the protection of lives and property in Lagos is a reflection of the Federal Government’s desire to keep Lagos safe. So I am going to urge all Nigerians to continue to stick with the All Progressives Congress and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, because in terms of security, within the context of what we met and what we have now, Nigeria has been peaceful and in order to sustain that, you need to keep that government in power and that’s the more reason why we should vote for Buhari in this coming election.

    One or two people may disagree when it comes to the issue of fighting corruption and how the Federal Government has gone about it. What’s your take on it?

    You see, everybody is very clear about what is going on. In any environment, when you put up a crusade that you want to fight corruption, it’s very clear that corruption will always fight back. The fundamental reform about the way we do things is the underbelly for this anti-corruption drive. The way we do things in this country, they are not the right ways that can give us prosperity and President Buhari decided on his own that he would champion this crusade irrespective of how corruption will fight back. But again, when you have had 16 years of corruption and we’ve just only had three and half years of reversing it, the way they are fighting back is trying to take government from him so that we can go back to our old ways of putting this country in penury, that is the crux of this election; the real fight in this election is that, do we want to reverse the anti-corruption drive so that we do things the same useless way that we used to do it and then the economy is not growing. The other option is do you want us to continue our crusade to make sure that the way and manner we do things are the appropriate way that we can be accountable to our people and that’s what this APC government is about and that’s what the government is trying to do to say that, you know what, you want to reverse 16 years of rot, you cannot do it and stop in three and half years, you must continue and take it to the next level so that in years to come, there would have been a lot of sanity in the system and it would be more about getting our people to have the right attitude against corruption in the way we do things, the way we relate to ourselves and the way we deliver services and dividends of democracy to our people. That is what the APC government and President Muhammadu Buhari is all about as against a former Vice President that is not in a good position to come and champion the anti-corruption drive. Those are the issues, they are very clear and Nigerians should understand what it is all about and we speak in terms of integrity, in terms of character for our President and then we can stand and vouch for that integrity. It’s all about character, that’s what you see even in the way I govern Lagos and that’s why I align myself with President Muhammadu Buhari. It’s straightforward and simple.

     

  • ‘There is no alternative to restructuring’

    General Overseer of Guiding Light Assembly Lagos Pastor Wale Adefarasin spoke with Sunday Oguntola on how to build a new Nigeria through constitutionalism and adherence to rule of law. Excerpts:

    Nigerians agree the nation must be restructured but disagree on how. How, in your opinion, is the best way to restructure Nigeria?

    We cannot restructure the nation without changing the 1999 Constitution substantially. What do we mean by restructuring? To some people, restructuring means going back to the 1960 geographical arrangements. To others, it means going back to the six geopolitical zones; some say we need to create eight.

    To some, it should be the going back to the three regions we had before the military took over in 1966. We haven’t really gotten a unified position of what we mean by restructuring. Another thing is that to pass a constitutional amendment, we need the Senate and House of Representatives to pass a vote with two third.

    Equally too, we need two thirds of the State House of Assembly to vote for the amendments, which is difficult. This was made so, so that constitutional changes can’t be done by a simple majority as it was before.

    The other thing is that the country is already divided. We have the North East, the North West and North Central. We also have the East, South South and the West. The zones in the North are against restructuring the way the South is looking at it and want it to be.

    I don’t see anything on ground that can make restructuring possible at the moment. We have an elected National Assembly. They are the ones to take a decision on this. Remember power devolution to the states was mooted but was voted down sometimes ago by the assembly…

    …So, restructuring might not be possible?

    …Well, it can. The other vehicle that can bring about a restructuring is a Sovereign National Conference. I don’t see any sitting government that can put this in place. You were elected into power and suddenly a body is put in place that has more power than you.

    The word sovereign means all powers. Personally, I believe in true federalism which was what we had before the military came. It was a true federation though. It wasn’t perfect. We had the parliamentary system, which was less expensive.

    Yes, people were crossing carpets and all that but it was not enough reason to throw the system away. I believe in whatever system would give us true federalism. The regions then were doing quite well. They competed favorably with each other.

    The West had cocoa, which was used to educate many of her people. When the East saw what the West was doing, they activated their coal and palm oil resources. The North was strong in the production of hides and skins, groundnuts and others.

    We shouldn’t allow oil to distract our attention from our other minerals. Even now many European nations, France and Great Britain in particular are saying that by 2040, they won’t be running petrol engine vehicles anymore. 2040 is not too far away! There are electric powered cars already on the road in these developed nations.

    But not yet in Nigeria

    Yes not in Nigeria. As far as i know, our power output and distribution cannot support this yet. These are cars you park by the road side where electric charging points are. You plug in your vehicle, recharge, pay and drive off. Just as you do when buying fuel.

    When we had regional governments, the regions were able to take care of themselves…

    …That was when we had a true federation at work. When the military came they cancelled it. It favoured the military as their chain of command is to have one Commander- In-Chief. It won’t work out well for them by their tradition to have a Commander-In-Chief and still have almost independent regional leaders under the C-In-C.

    Thus, the military cancelled that system and brought in a unitary system which was what began to destroy Nigeria.

    What precisely would be your opinion on what to do or system to adopt to stabilize the nation?

    I have no precise idea. If anyone has an idea, let that person come out with it.

    You said the nation was strong and prosperous under the regional government, don’t you agree then that we should go back to it?

    The fear of some people on the issue of restructuring as the South is asking for is some parts of Nigeria would suffer. They fear that power would no longer be at the centre to them and would have lost out.

    The truth however is that if we want Nigeria to still remain one, be great and progressive, we cannot do without this restructuring. How to get there is what is not known to me

    Is the presidential system not too expensive and over bearing for us?

    The presidential system was copied from the United States. The US is bigger than Nigeria. Every state in the US has its own constitution. They run almost independent of the federal body. Each state has its separate tax laws etc.

    Some tax regimes are lower than others. Judgment on same offences equally differs. Some have capital punishments while with others, it is life imprisonment for the same offence.

    The US is truly a federation. There are certain powers at the centre and some powers in the state. We have a similar thing here but only on paper. We have the Executive Lists which only the federal government can legislate on. The states also have Concurrent List. As much as I believe more power should be given to the states, I have my doubt for some states in the North that are not viable enough to stand on their own without the monthly allocations from the centre. We should go back to the six geographical zones or we go back to the regional system of government.

    When a region has to depend on her resources, it forces that region to be creative at working on their resources. The Niger Delta for instance has more than oil as mineral resources. Now everyone focuses on oil and Nigeria has become a mono product economic nation.

    We should diversify. Malaysians came here some years ago and took our palm seedling. Today they have left us far behind in palm oil production. Our people left agriculture and focused on petroleum.

    Lack of integrity is said to be the bane of our nation. This goes across the tribes and religion. Is there any solution to this?

    Corruption is not a religious matter. It is a cancer that has to be dealt with. It is holding our country down. Let me start from the family. Those who have the chance and capacity to sit down their children and teach them values are not teaching them.

    There are other due to economic pressures don’t even think at all on values they focus on feeding the family. As long as values are not taught to children who eventually grow to be adult, we shall still be in the same situation.

    Churches have been accused of placing emphasis on prosperity than teachings that can positively impact life and make of believers good Christians. What’s your reaction to this?

    The church should focus more on character development than prosperity messages. We need to let people know that when they give their lives to Christ, they are principally entering a relationship with the Lord.

    It is wrong to tell new converts that as soon as they give their lives to Christ, their problems are over. This is where people are getting it wrong.

    The answer to godly life is to disciple converts first. This is the only way you can build a Christ-like life style strong enough to make you live above board.

  • ‘ No alternative to restructuring’

    Politicians, pro democracy group and other political stakeholders unanimously agreed over the weekend that for Nigeria to actually attain full democracy, there is need for proper restructuring of political parties in the country. A former member of the lower chamber of the national assembly, Prince George Jolaoye, who represented Ayedire/Ola-Oluwa/Iwo federal constituency of Osun State, led the call.

    He spoke at an event organised by the Nigerian Movement for Positive Change (NMPC), held at Alice Palace, Agodi Street, Ibadan. He said: “This restructuring must first take place within the political parties. It is sad to say that most of our political parties lack proper political ideology. In the USA, and Britain, the foundations of their political parties are well cemented within established and clearly articulated political ideologies which accentuate the complexion of politics played. In such places, politics is all about ideas.”

    Another speaker, Senator Gbenga Babalola, charged voters to take their destiny in their hands and exhibit courage to elect political leaders they can vouch for. Babalola said, “No elected person will make Nigeria great, except the voters. Nigerians should wake up and demand accountability from their leaders.” The chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of NMPC, General Adekunle Martins (retd), charged political office holders to embark on policies and projects that will truly reflect the welfare of the masses.

     

     

  • No alternative to peace in Niger Delta, says Boroh

    The Coordinator of  Presidential Amnesty Programme and Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd.), has said only peace will enhance Niger Delta’s development.

    He implored agitators in the creeks to embrace peace, clear vestiges of violence and sustain developmental efforts of the government.

    Boroh, represented by his Special Adviser, Maj. Martins Abdul (retd.), spoke in Yenagoa yesterday at the fourth edition of Miss Peace Bayelsa Beauty Pageant 2017 and Bayelsa Peace Awards, organised by PGR Entertainment.

    The amnesty boss, who received a Distinguished Advocate of Peace Award, praised the pageant organisers for holding the event at a time the country and world needed peace.

    He said: ”The pageant is  timely because now, the country and entire world need peace. For a young man to have this idea to organise a peace pageant, it is a laudable project.

    ”Without peace, there is no development. Now, we have problems in Niger Delta because investors are still afraid of coming. They are afraid because of threat posed by those in the creeks.

    ”As long as this happens,  development will be elusive. The government is poised to develop parts of the country, including Niger Delta, but violence remains the bane.  Without peace, there will not be development.

    ”So far, so good, in the last two years, the Presidential Amnesty Programme in Niger Delta has guaranteed peace. At the time the programme began, crisis was very high. Until August 2016 we still had problems.

    “Fortunately, we have  doused tension. We have  stabilised the region.

    ”We can boast of pilots, engineers and specialists  in professions. I urge parents, guardians and stakeholders to take this home to our children, our brothers and sisters that there is no alternative to peace.

    ”They (agitators) in the creeks should  embrace peace so that we can develop the region.”

    The Director, Miss Peace Bayelsa Organisation, Mr. Seleipre Tonbie, said the show began in 2011 to promote peace.

    He said the pageant was a reminder of the proclamation of amnesty by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, adding that agitation led to the proclamation.

    Tonbie said: ”The Miss Peace Bayelsa Beauty Pageant is aimed at creating role models, who will serve as an ambassador of peace and enhance a new strength synergy and spirit of the advancement of peace in Bayelsa and Niger Delta.

    ”We have the ideology that peace is not a mere absence of war, but a virtue that springs from the force of character.

    “Promotion of peace through emulation of acceptable character representation becomes pertinent via pageantry, which showcases young, intelligent, confident, talented and creative women, who believe in their contributions to social awakening and growth. The quest for peace should be a conscious and collective effort to embrace change.”

    The highlight of the event, which ended about 3a.m.,  was the conferment of Distinguished Advocate of Peace Awards on two ex-militant leaders, Ebikabowei Ben aka Boyloaf and Chief Reuben Wilson aka General Pastor.

    Miss Samanta Davidson, representing Nembe Local Government, won this year’s Miss Peace Bayelsa. Miss Gbarian Ekpetiama and Miss Gbomo West emerged first and second runners-up.

  • No alternative to Buhari, says – Obasanjo

    No alternative to Buhari, says – Obasanjo

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said there is no alternative to President Muhammadu Buhari or his leadership style because of the peculiar period in the country’s life.

    He urged Nigerians to support Buhari to bring about the desired “change” in the country.

    Obasanjo noted that a lot of things that were left undone in the last six years are hurting the country today but said there is a ray hope in the government of President Buhari that the expected change for the better would soon come.

    The former President made this declaration at the weekend when a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by the Vice – President, Ogunkunade Oluwatoyin, visited him at his residence on Presidential Hilltop Estate, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    Obasanjo who is a former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before quitting party politics early this year, said he stuck out his neck for change during the last general elections because things were no longer going the way it ought to be for the country.

    The former president spoke in response to the demands of the students, particularly as it concerns fighting corruption, security, economy, unemployment and improvement in the standard of education.

    He noted that God loves Nigeria and that he would continue to support and pray for the success of President Buhari and his administration.

    Obasanjo said: “ I will underline what I regard as the most important right now which is key that deals with almost all the points that you raised and that is the issue of leadership. I believe very sincerely that God loves this country.

    “I have said it on a number of occasions that when you go through the history of this country, particularly during the pre-independence and how many times we have gone through difficult times but we have not fallen over, you would say like I have said over a number of times that God really loves this country.

    “And the general elections you talked about is a typical section of it, many people believe that after that election there will be no more Nigeria, many had even sent their families abroad, to some of us there is no where we can live abroad they will say you with all your mouth that you were running so you can even run out of Nigeria and come here.

    “I have nowhere else that I can go and live in except Nigeria. Some said that they know the NADECO route but I do not know the route and I do not want to know it. So God did it almost miraculously and the election took place although some did not want it to take place but it took place.

    “And some did help in no small measure to make sure we that got what God has destined for Nigeria. But in the first instance, we must give thanks to God and in the second instance we must thank those that made sure that we had a change and a credible change and the relative peace that we enjoyed before, during and after the election.”

    The former president continued, “The issue of good leadership which was what many of us were clamouring for. There is no angel, for me there is no messiah except Jesus Christ, but there are leaders who are concerned about what is happening in this country, leaders that are so passionate about this country and who are ready to stick out their necks for this country and God has given us such an individual as the President of the country.

    “What has happened is an indication that change has come and that our dreams may come true. But all that is required of everyone, young and old, youths and even students is to give unalloyed support to the government and where we believe that we should give criticism that is objective and positive we should give.

    “For me these points that you have made about what is going on in this country, about corruption, about the economy, about security, we all know these and that is why some of us prepared to stick out our neck to achieve change because most of these things have not been addressed for the past six years.

    “And how can anybody tell us that they will be addressed the next four years but now we have seen a ray of hope, so I will say let us encourage where we need to encourage, let us be objective where we need to be objective, let us show solidarity where we need to show solidarity.”

    He added that nobody is too young or too old to give meaningful contribution,” even what you are doing here is part of it, but do not limit it here, let us take it to them, those at the Senate, House of Representatives, those at the state level men and women of goodwill in this country.”

    According to him, “God forbid that this present democratic dispensation should fail, because we have no other alternative and that is why I said that the present administration should succeed there is no excuse and that is why I am so concern about the success of this administration.

    “Say whatever you like about me, I pray and I will work for the success of this government. There is no alternative to democracy, the alternative to democracy is even worse than the imperfection of democracy.”

    Going down memory lane, the former president said, “I am a victim of military regime, I was put in jail and meant to be killed by (the Sani Abacha regime)..If there was democracy there might have  been fair amount of trial. So I heard you, I note your request and as time goes by when I do have opportunity in the community of leaders when you want me to pass your message, I will deliver your message.

    “But one of the things that gives me great concern is youth employment, there is no employment for the youths in this country. Somebody told me that we can admit about seven thousand students in a year but those who seek admission into the university probably double that number.

    “We need to be mindful of job creation and wealth creation, it does not matter what university you attended, you must be mindful that job creation and wealth creation to the next generation.

    “If you don’t have a target about the actions that you are about to take then you do not have anything to work up to. I believe that having a target is necessary.  Let me give the history of the Nigeria’s civil war. I was one of those who did the appreciation of the war and wrote the order (plan) we thought that the war would end in six months and we made a plan for six months, but the war took 30 months but you cannot just leave it open, it must be an open ended, now fix a target and then those who are to carry it out will know that they have time and space within which to work.”